AS Roma have entered the race to sign Victor Lindelof, with Barcelona and Manchester United already hot on the trails of the Benfica defender, as per reports.
Italian outlet Tutto Mercato Web have reported that AS Roma have registered an interest in signing Victor Lindelof. The SL Benfica man has already been heavily linked with Barcelona and Manchester United, with the Serie A club now entering the picture.
Victor Lindelof continues to make a mark as one of the most promising young defenders in Europe. Having joined Benfica as an 18-year-old, Lindelof gradually rose through the ranks, and his stock has skyrocketed after a breakthrough 2016.
In the current campaign, Lindelof has been ever present in the Benfica back line, making 31 appearances in all competitions for the Portuguese giants. His rock solid performances in the heart of the Benfica defence have seen him help his side keep 12 clean sheets in Liga NOS in Portugal.
Surely enough, his performances haven’t gone unnoticed, with the likes of Inter Milan and Chelsea regularly monitoring his progress all through the season. Barcelona also entered the chase for Lindelof earlier this month, with Luis Enrique eyeing defensive reinforcements in the summer.
The Barcelona boss does have Samuel Umtiti, Gerard Pique, Javier Mascherano and Jeremy Mathieu as his choices for centre-back. However, Mathieu has been very unreliable for the Blaugrana, and is unlikely to earn a renewal on a deal that ends in 2018.
Meanwhile, Mascherano has battled injury problems, leaving Enrique with just his preferred centre-half pairing of Pique and Umtiti, and a new centre-back is reported to be a priority for the Barcelona manager.
However, despite the interest from several clubs across Europe, Manchester United have been touted as the heavy favourites to sign Lindelof.
And while a transfer has since failed to materialise in the winter transfer window, Jose Mourinho is still reported to be eyeing the 22-year-old for the summer, with rumours of fee agreement and shirt number being assigned running rampant.
But, it now looks like AS Roma could join Barcelona and Manchester United in pursuit of Lindelof. That is because the Giallorossi could be forced into the market if Kostas Manolas makes a move away from the Stadio Olimpico in the summer.
The Greek centre-back has been heavily linked with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Inter Milan, while it has also been reported that he has agreed personal terms with Arsenal. And, it is widely expected that he will leave Roma at the end of the season if the club fails to win any silverware.
In such a case, Roma will need a new centre-back in the summer and they are now eyeing Lindelof as a possible replacement. It now remains to be seen if they can usurp the Swede’s services from Manchester United, or whether Barcelona and Chelsea are still looking to have a say in things.
